Background: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to muscle weakness, fatigue, loss of motor function, and respiratory decline. Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom reported by individuals with ALS, yet the extent to which demographic and clinical variables are associated with this critical symptom remains unclear.
Objective: This study aimed to examine how various functional and clinical factors are related to fatigue among ALS patients from the CDC’s National ALS registry.
Methods: ALS participants from the PRISM-ALS study were categorized based on sex, age group, education level, employment status, time since onset of weakness, ability to speak, use of a feeding tube, ability to breathe independently, ability to walk, and ALS subtype (Primary Lateral Sclerosis [PLS], Progressive Muscular Atrophy [PMA], and ALS with dementia). Statistical analyses were conducted to identify associations between these variables and the impact and prevalence of patient-reported fatigue in 5 different areas.
Results: Analysis from 497 participants revealed that employment status, respiratory ability, and ambulation capacity are associated with both the impact and prevalence of fatigue in ALS. There were no differences in the prevalence or impact of fatigue based on sex, age, education level, or ALS sub-type.
Conclusion: Functional limitations related to ambulation, breathing, and employment status are strongly related to patient-reported fatigue in ALS. These findings identify ALS patients who are at higher risk of experiencing life-altering fatigue. Additional research is needed to further explore the etiology of fatigue in ALS and investigate potential therapeutic interventions.
Acknowledgements: Funding for this research was provided by ALS Association and conducted in conjunction with the CDC’s National ALS Registry and the CReATe Consortium.